STAGELAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 4, 26 March 1927, Page 21 (Supplement)

STAGELAND

(By COTHURNUS.)

BOOKINGS. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. March 29.—" Abie's Irish Hose" (Grace Stafford). April 14-April 30. —"No, No, Nanette" (Elsie Prince). Coming. "Meet the Wife" and "The Best People." "Tell Me More.” FULLERS’ OPERA HOUSE George Storey Revue and Vaudeville. Wee Georgie Wood, who was not exactly a success on his New Zealand tour some time ago, appeared in the pantomime, “Humpty-Dumpty,” at Manchester. Arthur Bouchier, who has never yet played in any British Dominion, has left England for South Africa,, where he will play “At the Villa Rose” and “Treasure Island.” *He has had 37 years on the English stage. Members of the cast of “Abies Irish Rose,” who have all appeared in the play over 1000 times, are Grace Stafford, George Duryea, John McCabe, Bertha Walden, Alfred Gordon, Henry Mortimer, Jack Trainer and David Wall. Gladys Moncrieff, responding to a congratulatory wire from Charles Wenman, producer of “Frasquita,” on her London debut in “The Blue Mazurka” cabled, “Forty-eight good-luck cables from Australia.” Miss Moncrieff last appeared here in a revival of “The Merry Widow.” * * *

Among the big company w h ic h plays “Abie’s Irish Rose,” Agnes Dobson, pictured here, holds her own for g od looks. She is a youthful member of the cast who is making her first acquaintance with New Zealand. Aucklanders will see the first production of

at His Majesty’s’Abie’s Irish Rose” Theatre on the evening of March 29. It is a record breaker both for laughs and length of run. It even broke the long-run record held by “Chu Chin Chow.” * * * Isobel Wilford, of Wellington, who has appeared in several J. C. Wiliam - son companies mads quite a hit in London when she appeared in a new American comedy, “The Gold Diggers.” “Gold diggers,” by the. way, are women who “dig” gold from obliging old gentlemen. * * * Nellie Stewart created a furore at the revival of “Sweet Nell of Old Drury” at the Royal Theatre, Melbourne. She delighted the packed house. Her voice retained all its old sparkle, and she demonstrated all her original grace and vivacity. It was the most enthusiastic revival witnessed in Melbourne. * * * * Wirth’s CircLis is on its way to New Zealand once more. It has opened its Australian season at the Hippodrome, Sydney. New artists include the Redam Troupe, a strong man and three Amazonian lasses, the Ronnellys, aerial gymnasts, Chester Dieck, a daring trick cyclist; and Hillary Long, who performs all manner of acrobatic tricks while standing on his head.

That amusing and satirical book “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” which made Anita Loos, the authoress famous in the English speaking world, has been turned into a stage-play, and will be produced in London shortly. One of her other pieces, “The Whole Town’s Talking,” faded out in London after a comparatively short run. * * * Irene Vanbrugh, whose magnificent acting will be remembered by Auckland theatregoers, is now playing in a new comedy in London, “The Desperate Lover,” which was written for her by Alfred Sutro. During her New Zealand tour Miss Vanbrugh played “Mr. Pim Passes By,” “Aren’t We All . . . ?” “The Last «f Mrs. Tanqueray” and “His House in Order.” The success of Eden Philpotts as a dramatist came with comparative suddenness. It is only a few years since he was known only as an author of “best-sellers.” In December he had three plays running at once in London—“ The Farmer’s Wife,” which was played in New Zealand some months ago, “Yellow Sands,” and “Devonshire Cream.” Beppv de Vries, the Dutch girl who is coming to Australia to play “Madame Pompadour,” has written to a friend in Sydney: “I am having a splendid time in Switzerland, and getting ready for week-ends at your Mount Kosciusko.” If the little Hollandese intends to play all the week and spend her week-ends at Kosciusko she will be the briskest thing in musical comedy stars Australia has seen for years. * * * “Abies Irish Rose” is being presented in New Zealand by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., by management with Sir Benjamin and Mr. John Fuller. This play has enjoyed the longest run of any theatrical show in the world. “Chu Chin Chow” ran for 2,238 performances in London. "Abies Irish Rose” has lasted longer in New York and is still going strong at the Republic Theatre.

Had it not been that she was invited to accept the part of Rose Mary Murphy in "Abie’s Irish Rose,” Grace Stafford might now be playing to London audiences in the title role in “Aloma,” a colourful drama of the South Seas recently presented at the Adelphi Theatre. The opportunity to tour in ‘‘Abie’s Irish Rose” proved too strong a temptation to resist and Miss Stafford freely admits that she is very pleased with the choice she made. Elsie Prince will be “Janette” when that bright show comes to New Zealand. Three Australian girls are to get a chance in the re-organised company. Nellie Dean will be Lucille, formerly played by Madge White. Washington; Gladys Hermes will be Phyllis du Barry will be Winnie from Betty from Boston, but Olive Grant will resume her role of Flora from ’Frisco. May Beatty’s successor will be June Adell; Claude Holland will take over Tom Trainer, which Oliver McLennan had before. After the New Zealand tour the company will return to Sydney for ‘‘Lady, Be Good!” Elsie Prince says of her part in that: "I love it even better than Nanette.” South Africa is becoming a golden land for theatrical folk. Owen Nares, who recently toured there, said on his return to London that he had made three times the money in South Africa lie could have made in the same time in England. The Auckland season of ‘‘No, No, Nanette” will open at His Majesty’s Theatre on April 14 for a season of six nights. Tiffs song and dance show had a wonderful run in London and a long and successful season in Australia. Elsie Prince will play the leading role. A cable message has been received from Milan by J. C. Williamson Ltd. regarding the season of grand opera for which Mr. Frank Tait and Mr. Nevin Tait have been in Italy making arrangemnnts for some time. It was indicated that progress had been so satisfactory that it would be possible to open the season in Melbourne next September, after which Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide will be visited. Later, a New Zealand tour of this great company will be arranged. The proposed repertoire will include the following: German: “Lohengrin,” “Tannhauser,” “The Valkyrie,” “The Flying Dutchman” (Wagner); “Rosenkavalier” (Strauss), the- last-named being new to Australia and New Zealand. Italian: “L'Amore .dei Tre Re” (Montemezzi), the trilogy comprising “Gianni Schicchi,” “II Tabaro,” and “Suor Angelica,” by Puecini; “Cosi Fan Tutti” (Mozart), “Manon” (Massenet), “The Jewels of the Madonna,” “Le Roi d’Ys” (Lalo), “Fedora,” and “Andrea Chenier.” New Zealanders read with satisfaction of the splendid new musical plays secured by Mr. J. N. Tait for presentation in the Domion later on. “Princess Charming” has been a great success, as well as “Tip Toes” and “Queen High.” “Princess Charming” will probably be the first staged, but all the English and American novelties purchased at high figures will be brcmght to the Dominion. Mr. John Tait, who has a particularly warm side for New Zealand, is insistent on this point.

A well-known New Zealand musician who has just returned from a tour of Australia was in Sydney on the occasion of the farewell performance of “Rose Marie,” the J. C. Williamson musical comedy coming to New Zealand soon. “I would never have believed it had I not seen it,” he said. “I have never seen such enthusiasm on the part of an audience in any part of the world, and I have seen first-class entertainments in London, Paris, New York, and Chicago. Men and women simply went wild, and the cheering at the conclusion was so prolonged that the curtain had to be raised again and again. And it was worth it all,” he concluded. “It is one of the brightest shows I have ever witnessed. The music is attractive, and the piece is mounted in the firm’s best style—and you know what that means.” New Zealanders will like it —every line and every note of it.”

The firm of J. C. Williamson has secured the Australian and New Zealand rights of "The Whole Town’s Talking:,” Miss Anita Loos's wonderfully successful comedy. It is constructed on entirely original lines, and lias been highly spoken of by the American critics. Some of the scenes are described as *something unusual in the comedy line and built up with an attention to detail rarely seen in the plays of to-day.” Anona Wilkins, who was in Auckland last supporting Ada Reeves in pantomime, is making good at Home. At last advice she was playing second lead to Jose Collins in “The Greek Slave.” on tour in Glasgow. After her New Zealand tour Miss Wilkins visited India and the East, later going to London,, where she obtained her present engagement. Pauline Frederick had a remarkable reception in “Madame X,” at the Lyceum Theatre, London. The play is a typical old-time melodrama. Frank Harvey, who is a member of the cast, also scored a success. The production was staged under the direction of E. J. Carroll. It has been Miss Frederick's ambition to make a stage appearance in London, and there is an interesting story connected with the fact that she is making her London debut under Australian management. It goes back to the time when

she visited Australia and New Zealand to play in Frederick Lonsdale’s “Spring Cleaning,” which was produced under the E. J. Carroll direction. “Although,” says the “Daily Chronicle,” “this is practically his first venture in the London theatre world, Mr. E. J. Carroll is an influential and successful man in Australia, and it is under his direction that some of the most important celebrity tours of the Southern Hemisphere have been made.” “Madame X” ;*vas originally produced in England 18 years ago. An outstanding performance in “The Ghost Train,” in Melbourne, is that given by Basil Radford. He played the same part in Eugland just before leaving for Australia. He has had much success there as a light comedian. In London he has played a number of good roles. Mr. Radford was the lead in the comedy “Collusion,” at the Ambassadors, and won great favour in “Mixed Doubles” at the Criterion. He played Count Herbert in “Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife” on tour, and undertook leading roles in “The Dovei* Road” and “Bulldog Drummond.” “The Ghost Train” will come on to New-Zealand after the Australian * * * No musical comedy in recent years has embodied such' faithful relation of song and story as has “No, No, Nanette,” the record -making success to be presented by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., under special arrangement with Sir Benjamin and Mr. John Fuller. In that relation lies one of the secrets of the great popularity of the show. For when the dialogue is broken, and a song comes, the song actually carries on the dialogue without a perceptible break. In grand opera one expects the music to follow the trend of the play theme. To have it otherwise would spoil the effect. But in musical comedy this is not usually the case, and the public has grown half-accustomed to have the thread of the story broken short while a song, which has little to do with the story, is sung. Not so with “No, No, Nanette.” Every song—and there are plenty of them —helps to build up suspense, or adds to the general merriment. For instance, take the two phenomenal hits of the show, “I Want to be Happy,” and “Tea for Two.” The first is the philosophy of Jimmie Smith, the leading character, as played by the inimitable Jimmy Godden; the second the thoughts and dreams of Nanette (Elsie Prince) and her lover. And so it goes from curtain to curtain, through all three acts. “No, No, Nanette,” “You Can Dance With Any Girl At All,” “Too Many Rings Around Rosie,” and all the rest, have a part in building the story of the man who has too much money—a story that has enthralled and vastly amused tens of thousands of Australian people and will be enjoyed by tens of thousands of New Zealanders.